In this article, we will be discussing and alerting you on some of the disturbing whatsApp hacks and scams you should be careful with.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular and user-friendly messaging apps for staying in touch with friends and family. It used to be a safe personal account for people until hackers came into the picture. There have been reports of scams on the app and it’s still on the rise. This is all because hackers have devised methods to gain access to people’s accounts in order to execute tasks for their personal gains.
How Do These WhatsApp Scams / Hacks work?
The criminals try these tricks when they are not suspected by the user.
- The most prevalent kind is the impersonation of administrators (admins) within a specific group.The perpetrators entice the victim into disclosing their WhatsApp verification code. The narrative commonly presented is that the group members are being moved to a new group and people fall for this a send the code.
- Another example is when the bad guys send a person a code by text message on their smartphone, which is followed by a WhatsApp message from someone on their contact list. When a “friend” or “family member” requests the target to reveal their code, it would go straight to the hacker. This is because the criminal has access to that friend or relative’s account.
Apparently, the hacker uses the user’s phone number to install whatsapp. When a user isn’t expecting it, WhatsApp will send an SMS code to their phone. Hackers pretending to be users’ contacts ask for this code.
Effects of WhatsApp Scams
Innocently sharing the WhatsApp code allows the perpetrators to gain access to your account, take control and run scams on people. Even if the you uninstall and reinstall the app, the hacker would have already activated the two-step verification code, preventing you from gaining access to the account.
The bad guy goes on to restore your chats which enables him to access your recent chats. He also activates the “change phone number” option in the whatsapp settings.
The scammer modifies the group names to “world remit,” “lotto,” or “Porno” if the user also happens to be an admin in a group. They start by sending offensive emojis or postings about lottery scams and world remits to the groups, after which they continue to prey on more gullible connections. Some can even send your contacts messages asking for money.
How to prevent These From Happening:
1. Setting Up WhatsApp Two-step Verification
- One way to prevent this is by setting up WhatsApp two-step verification. WhatsApp’s two-step verification feature, when activated, can alert the user if someone tries to log in to their account.
How To Set Up Two-Step Verification (2SV)
- Open or go to WhatsApp
- Open your settings
- Select account
- Then select two-step verification
- Follow the prompts and instructions to set up the 2SV with your mobile number
- After here, you can then use application without fear of being hacked.
2. Downloading the Correct version of WhatsApp
App Store or Google play store is where you should always download the correct version of the app.
You should not use an unsupported version of WhatsApp. It’s possible for scammers to get into your account if you’re just a little careless with these apps.
What to do if your WhatsApp Account gets hacked
The moment you realize a friend or your WhatsApp is hacked, these are a few things you should do.
1. Contact your closest family and friends to inform them about your current situation.
This is a very important approach which helps a lot. Some criminals will try using your account to further hack your close friends and family. Informing as many people as possible can help make them aware to prevent being hacked as well.
2. Contact the admins of groups you are part of and inform them to remove your number from the group if possible.
Contacting the group admin and asking them to remove the offending member is the best course of action if it turns out that you have been hacked.
If someone’s account is hacked, it can also affect the accounts of others in the group, so you must remove the individual from the group.
3. Claim your WhatsApp Account Back
So far as you are the owner of the WhatsApp account, you can get your WhatsApp account back after some hours of being hacked.
After about 12 hours, you should try registering your WhatsApp number. You have to login to your WhatsApp account with your phone number. WhatsApp automatically will send a code to the you via sms for you to verify and get your account back.
You can also check:
- What happens when you report and block someone on WhatsApp?
- Steps To Avoid Being Added To WhatsApp Groups Without Your Permission
- How to hide chats on WhatsApp without archive
- Popular slangs and short forms used in texting/chatting on WhatsApp or Social Media
Remarks
Over the years, this messaging platform has grown to be the most popular messaging app in the world. As a result, users should exercise caution and keep an eye out for potential scammers. Kindly share this post to get others educated. Thank you for your time.
